How to Snipe on eBay

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Last Updated: August 10, 2021

This how to guide will show you the best methods of sniping an eBay auction, increasing your chances of winning an auction for the least money possible.

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Note when it finishes and remember this for later. Record the item number and auction end time.^{[1]
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If it's still in a nice price range, then sit back and wait. Make sure you're logged in.
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While waiting, decide exactly how much you're willing to spend on this item. Lets say you're willing to pay $10 for it. Keep reloading or refreshing the page to keep a better watch on the time.^{[2]
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- At the upper right hand side of Firefox, between the (-) sign and the (X), is a box with two little boxes in it. Click on that box to Restore Down the window size. Then click and drag the sides of the window so it takes up half of your screen and you can see your auction item and the icon you need to click on to bid.
- Open Firefox again and do the same thing with the new window that appears.
- In the new window, go to eBay again and look for the item you are going to bid on. You can type the item number in the search box and it will bring it up. Don't sign in to eBay in this window; you are just going to use it to watch the timing.
- In the new window, click on the refresh icon every now and then and eBay will tell you how much time is left. When the Item is down to the last 10 or 15 seconds (depending on your internet speed), go to the other window and click on the Submit Icon to submit your bid.
Experts can and probably should wait for a little lower, say 30 - 20 seconds left. Start to place your bid.^{[3]
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You win for a measly 7 cents more. However, sometimes you'll need to bid more if the auction is set up for larger bidding increments. Below the box where you enter your bid, it should say "enter _ amount or more".
By the time you click confirm bid, there will be about 10 seconds left, not enough time for most people to make a come back bid. It is possible to make a bid in 10 seconds though so you might want to be quicker if the item is really popular.^{[5]
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It's a feature that lets you bid quicker.

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Tips

Check bid history before the auction is over, many people use sniping tools - in some cases their final price may be shown before the bid reaches that amount.^{[6]
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If the current highest bidders maximum bid is over yours, (each bidder can, if they wish, set a maximum bid, and then eBay automatically bids for each bidder using the set increase for a bid) you may not have time to make another bid, so make sure you place your highest bid in your snipe.^{[7]
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Always stick to your highest bid. If you're not the highest bidder after your snipe, do not enter a frantic bidding war. Sniping is an activity which will usually raise your adrenaline/excitement and you may succumb to thinking "Just a few more dollars/pounds/euros won't matter." Don't fall for this; stick to what you predetermine.

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Warnings

If you do re-bid until you're the high bidder, then you may have bid well beyond the best price that you would like to pay. And still, someone may outbid your high bid, too, in continued normal bidding. You can't win that way!

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Watch the location of the item, as shipping from other countries can be expensive.

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Re-bidding until you receive the message: You're the high-bidder! is not safe! But, it is the only way you can find the highest anyone else has bid.

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